


The Earth Doesn't Move

by mostlyharmless



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-06
Packaged: 2018-02-24 08:14:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2574482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mostlyharmless/pseuds/mostlyharmless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after Sasuke has come home to the village, he still doesn't really fit in very well. Naruto thinks maybe it's his turn to wait for the olive branch. All the ramen is an added bonus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Earth Doesn't Move

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VoodooRadio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoodooRadio/gifts).



> My attitude towards my own writing is usually that I should only write if I have something new or unique to say, because I don't have the skills or imagination needed to write something that wouldn't just be an ugly ill-working Frankenstein's monster of all my favourite pieces. So, if I write at all, it's giftfic that I already know somebody will have wanted.
> 
> This began that way, a giftfic, but it mutated and ended up so unlike the original prompt that I got too ashamed and abandoned it a year ago.
> 
> But, I realised today that after years and years and years of loving this ship, this could be the last day I will be able to think of it in the exact same way that I do. So even if what I have to say isn't special or different, it's still something only present me can say, as future me may not be able to. I'm not sure that makes any sense. But, it was enough to get me to finish. 
> 
> To skip the sex, when you see 'Naruto goes to join him', Ctrl+f to 'Naruto remembers how it felt'.

The buzz of the party is already fading by the time Naruto's turning the key in his own front door, feeling wet and cold, and by the time he's folded the umbrella it's gone.

It had been really nice, though, he thinks, padding barefoot down his dark hallway. It had been at the Inuzuka's place, which was a full-on place at the best of times thanks to Kiba's loud family and all the dogs running everywhere. Adding almost everyone from their old class to the mix made for utter chaos. All that beer hadn't exactly helped either, especially as most of them had only just reached the legal age and weren't exactly classy partiers. _Especially_ when they realised nobody had kept an eye on Lee.

It was supposed to be celebrating some nin-dog level Akamaru had graduated, but it was really just a reason for everyone to get together. Now that they are all adults it's hard to find time for things like that. And deep down, even though the war has been over for years, the gaping holes it left in their lives, in their families and teams, make gatherings hard.

Naruto lingers in the doorway to the freezing kitchen for a while, debating muzzily whether or not to bother turning on the light. He smacks himself in the head for being stupid, flips the switch, and plops himself down at the kitchen table. Everything looks strangely angular in the harsh electric light, and he squints at the fridge, thinking about dinner.

There's a sharp knock on the door, and Naruto groans, pushing the chair back with a scrape and heaves himself out of it. The room sways slightly. He's tired and hungry and ready to down some ramen and crash. It's probably Shikamaru wanting his umbrella.

On the other side of the door is Sasuke.

Naruto stares at him for a second. Sasuke stares back. He hasn't got an umbrella and his black hair is plastered to his face.

"Uh, hey," Naruto manages. "You want something?"

Sasuke gives him an irritated look. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Sure," says Naruto, lost. He opens the door wider to let Sasuke in. "Hang on, don't drip all over my house, I'll get you a towel."

Sasuke just grunts in answer.

Naruto leaves him dripping at the entryway and goes off to dig through the closet in the bathroom for something clean, wincing at the freezing tiles on his bare feet. Sasuke hadn't been at the party. As if he would have been. He mainly keeps to himself, which is one of a couple of reasons why it's so weird to see him here.

There's no real reason why he should stay away from everybody, especially not his own teammates. He was reinstated as a Konoha shinobi years ago, something that Naruto had fought for all the way, despite the bureaucratic hell it represented, not that the asshole had acted grateful for it. Naruto himself isn't exactly sure of the details of the new treaties involving the villages and clans, he supposes it'll be something of his to worry about once he is Hokage. But then again, Sasuke has already felt like something of his for a long time.

Sasuke accepts the towel readily enough, and Naruto watches him dry his hair. He knows he's staring, but his mind is feeling thick with the alcohol and even after all these years it's surreal to just watch Sasuke Uchiha doing things.

"So. Uh. What's up?"

"I just got back from a mission," says Sasuke, folding the towel. His skin is slightly pink from the scratchy fabric. "There was nothing in my fridge and everything's shut now, so I thought I'd come see if you had any food."

Sasuke's face is carefully blank, but Naruto feels the bottom drop out of his stomach. Holy shit.

The last time they saw each other they had had a massive fight, which is actually the number one reason why it's so weird to see him here.

"Oh yeah sure, I've got stuff, the kitchen's this way."

"Your place is built exactly the same as mine, you don't need to tell me where things are."

Naruto bites down on the insult he's about to fire back, and laughs nervously instead. It won't do to start fighting again. "Uh, sorry it's so chilly in here. I can put the heating on."

"Don't worry about it."

Naruto watches Sasuke, who is wandering casually around his kitchen reading the stuff he's taped to the walls with a weird expression. There's something kind of impersonal about these flats, the ones they rent cheap to kids like them. Naruto's made this place his home, it's got his plants and his posters and his ramen and his stuff, but it's still never really felt the same as being inside his friends' homes.

Maybe it had been the muggy oppressive weather that had made them irritable that day. Maybe it had just been because sometimes fighting is good in a way, because basically the only time Sasuke ever actually talks about his feelings is when he is leaking out most of his blood. But it's hard to say if it's worth it, because no matter what, Naruto feels like absolute shit afterwards. Physically of course, but then also mentally. Cause Sakura always gets so disappointed. And cause. Why can't Sasuke just be happy?

Because I have no reason to be happy, Sasuke had screamed at him, sharp against the swollen sky, what the fuck did you think my life would be like, coming back here after everything?

Naruto had snarled at Sasuke, prickling under clothes that stuck to his skin. He had screamed back, maybe I didn't think about it all that much, but I'd do anything to help if you just fucking told me what you needed, you can always come to me, why won't you just come to me?

Sasuke had spat, and he was either going to say something really awful or blow a fireball, he made the same face before both kinds of attack, but Naruto realised in that split second that he didn't have the energy to deal with either, and he walked away, leaving Sasuke among all the smashed trees.

And now Sasuke is here, peering at the cacti on Naruto's shelf.

There would be late-night food stands open on the street right now, and even a twenty four hour convenience store or two he could have gone to. And that's ignoring the fact that there's no way Sasuke Uchiha didn't have some kind of long life food stashed away.

But he came here.

"I was just about to make myself some cup ramen, actually." Naruto opens his cupboard and stares at the stacks of foam cups. "I got a few flavours. Shio, umm, chicken, miso, this seafood one, oh and I think I have a chilli seafood one in here somewhere... I feel like miso myself."

Sasuke reaches over his shoulder and swipes a miso packet. "This will be fine."

"O-okay." Naruto moves away quickly, grabbing the jug and busying himself at the sink. "It'll just take a minute for this to boil."

"Wait, you're really just going to pour boiling water in the cup?"

"Uh yeah, so what?"

"I would have thought you of all people would have figured out it's way better if you cook it on the stove."

"What! No way! Why would I mess with perfection?"

"I'm telling you, cook it on the stove." Then Sasuke goes and opens Naruto's cupboard like he owns the place. "Where are your saucepans?"

Five minutes later, Naruto is staring at the two blocks of noodles sitting submerged in the saucepan. They're probably wondering how they got in this situation too.

"I ate a lot of this growing up." Naruto swings around to stare at Sasuke, who is now messing around in his fridge. "Oh good, you have eggs. Do you have leeks?"

"Um. There might be one in the veggie drawer." Sasuke ate a lot of this growing up? Well, of course he did, realises Naruto. He prods at the noodles with his chopsticks and they start coming apart in the bubbling water.

Sasuke comes over with two eggs and a pathetic looking half-wilted leek.

"Where are your knives?"

"Bossy much," Naruto mumbles, but he leaves the noodles for a second to help.

Sasuke only snorts. He cuts the best parts of the leek into little rings quickly and efficiently on a plate, and then sets it aside.

"How are they doing?"

"They're done. I already put the flavouring in." The two blocks of noodles are all blended together now, and they look perfect.

"Okay, take it off the heat and bring it here." Sasuke cracks the two eggs right into the saucepan. Naruto watches in trepidation. "Okay, put the lid on that."

"I dunno. Seems like this way takes longer."

"It's worth it."

"And there will be more washing up now."

"We can just eat it out of the saucepan if you are that fussy."

Naruto imagines the two of them doing that for a second. He stomps to the fridge. "I need more beer."

"So you have been drinking. Thought as much."

"Do you want a beer or not?"

Sasuke's eyes widen a fraction. There's something hesitant in his fingers as he reaches for the bottle. Oh. Nope, Naruto is definitely four thousand percent not drunk enough for this shit.

It turns out that Sasuke is really terrible at opening beer bottles. Suddenly Naruto remembers how when they were kids, he used to keep a list of Things Sasuke Sucks At in his head. He's forgotten all of them now, except 'Sasuke can't eat big sandwiches without the filling falling out the back'. One night years ago, lying in bed feeling sick to his stomach over awful distant things, he had remembered that one out of the blue and wondered if it was still true.

Naruto decides not to think about that now and makes a show out of opening his beer with his bicep, something that he just knew had impressed the girls at the party. Sasuke just smirks and copies exactly what he just did, Sharingan spinning lazily.

He only stops yelling when Sasuke is done doling the ramen out into bowls and is pushing one at him.

"Are you even listening to me!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a cheap bastard, whatever. Are you going to eat or keep whining?"

"You're lucky I like ramen more than I like putting you in your place." Naruto snaches up his chopsticks.

"Yes, that is definitely what was happening."

Naruto groans, but there is ramen to be eating right now, so instead of arguing, he takes a mouthful.

And holy shit.

"HOLY SHIT." Naruto jumps out of his chair, head spinning with the sudden movement, waving his chopsticks at Sasuke. "YOU'RE FUCKING KIDDING ME."

Sasuke snorts, but he has a weird expression on his face that he's obviously fighting to kill.

"HOW CAN IT REALLY BE THAT MUCH BETTER JUST FROM THAT??"

"Sit down, you loser," says Sasuke, and Naruto thumps back into his chair. He stares at the noodles, feeling somehow betrayed, and then it hits him that a whole new world of ramen has just opened up before him.

"There's lots of other stuff you can do," says Sasuke, as Naruto sits there feeling drunk and dumbstruck.

"Sasuke... you really are the genius of our generation..."

Sasuke snorts again and flicks a piece of leek at him, but Naruto is too busy devouring the rest of the bowl.

Some time (and a lot of beer) later, they're sitting on the kitchen floor. A cabinet handle is digging uncomfortably into Naruto's back, but Sasuke's shoulder is pressed against his and Sasuke's thigh keeps bumping his and for some reason he really doesn't want to move at all.

"I'm really glad you came tonight," says Naruto, feeling lazy and warm.

"Mm."

"No, seriously, man. You can drop by anytime, you know."

Sasuke hums again, and Naruto thinks maybe he needs to change the subject, but then Sasuke is saying, "Same for you, yeah," and suddenly Naruto's whole brain is blank and he feels warm everywhere.

"Come over to mine sometime," Sasuke is continuing. "I'll make you gyōza ramen."

"You can make gyōza??"

"I can, but it's easier to just buy it from the convenience store."

Naruto realises he is laughing his ass off and can't stop.

"You--buy it from the--the store---ohmygod like--your cheating doesn't even stop with the sharingan--"

Sasuke elbows him in the kidney and Naruto screams. "You're one to fucking talk, what do you think cup ramen even is--"

By the time they've calmed down, Naruto has ended up twisted over Sasuke's legs. He relaxes his defensive death grip on Sasuke's wrists with a shaky sigh, stomach aching from laughing.

Sasuke tugs his hands free so he can get his beer. Naruto has to roll off Sasuke onto the floor, it's too weird watching Sasuke's mouth on the bottle so close up.

His whole body feeling heavy and spinny, Naruto pushes his forehead into Sasuke's leg to ground himself. He feels Sasuke's fist thump him in the stomach, but it just makes him laugh.

"The shit I put up with from you," Naruto says. Sasuke goes kind of stiff. It's as good a reason as any to poke him.

"Stop poking me."

"Stop being a loser then, Saaaasuke."

"Getting called a loser by the king of losers, when will I hit rock bottom?"

"How am I the king of losers, I totally won the last fight--"

Oh fuck. Naruto lurches up, fighting his spinning head. No, take that back, Naruto is the king of losers after all. Why the hell did he bring that up?

"Ughhhh I'm sorry--"

"No," says Sasuke, "I should be saying that."

Naruto is poleaxed.

"Wh... uh..."

Sasuke never ever fucking apologises for anything. (Not even, on the battlefield, looking wrecked in every sense, thinking he was going to die.)

"Don't hurt yourself," says Sasuke, and that's the familiar asshole tone back again.

"Is that...," and Naruto's not sure he should be asking this but the beer is making it easier, "is that why you came over?"

"Well," says Sasuke. He's silent for a moment. "It's just." The silence stretches out longer. Naruto watches him glare at his beer. "You never walked away before."

Naruto almost hits his head on the cabinet. "What??"

"I mean. After we fought the other day. You just left."

Oh.

Yeah. He hadn't really expected Sasuke would realise that.

"What were you going to say? Before I left."

"I dunno if you want to hear that."

"I can handle it!"

"I was going to say. Well. I came back... cause that's what you wanted. But I can't just be happy here because it's easier for you."

"You're... what! I never--"

"I know. But that's what I was going to say."

"Well, I would have said--"

"I know." Sasuke slams his beer down on the linoleum. "But you asked."

"Stop fucking interrupting me!"

"Hey--"

"I don't want you to be happy cause it'd be easier! I want you to be happy because you are really fucking important to me and it _hurts_ to see you like this! It always, always has! And..."

Silence, except for the rain pounding on the windows.

"And I don't blame you, not really."

"What?"

Naruto can't explain, the words aren't there. He knows people don't treat Sasuke the same, even after all this time. He knows everyone considers Sasuke some big fucking disgrace, no matter how hard he fought on their side, no matter how he fucking saved all of them at the end, that middle-to-end bit notwithstanding.

He knows he'll never get what it's like to deal with the burden of clan pride bullshit on top of feeling personally insulted and rejected, but he does know what it's like to feel like the goddamn shit on the boots of the entire village.

Fuck, he knows. Even though everyone sees him as their hero now, even though he's confident he's an important and celebrated part of the community, he'll never forget.

Sometimes Naruto wonders if there's some kind of universal rule that the two of them have to be opposites in absolutely everything.

"I'm not blind, I do see all the things that grind you down. I get it." He stops himself from tearing at the label on his beer. Sai said he read only virgins do that. "I'm sad about all of it. I mean, it's not like you couldn't try harder, but I get it. Well, actually no, I don't think you could try harder, you're just a natural asshole, probably nothing we can do about that."

Sasuke snorts, but he relaxes a little.

"And," Naruto continues. "I know you still have beef with certain council members. And like fuck I'd ever blame you for that."

Sasuke goes brittle, at that. Transparent.

He'd had to give up on the thought of revenge years ago, when he returned to the village. But of course it wasn't easy. Of course it would still hurt. Naruto wasn't dumb enough or naive enough to think otherwise, no matter how well Sasuke fulfilled his duties as a Leaf shinobi.

"You can't say that kind of thing," Sasuke manages. "Do you want me to get done for treason?" Hearing that come out of Sasuke's mouth is both really funny and really sad. It must show on his face, because Sasuke gets up with a wobble and starts collecting the empty bottles. "I should go."

Naruto really doesn't want him to go. The room still feels warm and close, a bubble in the cold outside, and he's not ready to open that door and have it vanish.

But he says, "Yeah, it's getting late," and shoos Sasuke away from clearing up.

At the entrance, Sasuke pulls a face as he puts on shoes that must be still damp, and something about it catches at Naruto's heart, he bets nobody else has seen that face, Sasuke is so stupid and dorky and nobody knows.

"Mission tomorrow?" he asks, to break the silence. Why is this so awkward?

"Yeah. Even though I just got back tonight."

"Man, that should be against the law. In fact, when I'm hokage, I'm gonna do that."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself there."

"What?"

"You know for sure you're going to be the next hokage?"

Naruto boggles. "How can you even say that! Of course I'm gonna be hokage! I've always said so!"

Sasuke gives him a level look, which is funny, because he's not entirely steady on his feet. "I know you said it when we were kids, but you're an adult now and you don't know the first thing about law. Or about economics. Or politics. Or diplomacy."

Naruto's stomach burns hot. "You asshole! I'm gonna be a fucking awesome hokage!" He clamps down on his anger before he punches Sasuke in his fucking face. "Go fuck yourself!"

Sasuke sneers and slams the door on his way out. Naruto stands there for a second, feeling absolutely livid, then he stomps over and pulls the door open. Sasuke is standing there on the other side, getting drenched.

"And I'm still coming over tomorrow for gyōza ramen!" he yells, thrusting Shikamaru's umbrella out.

Sasuke snatches it off him. "You fucking better!" he snaps, and storms off.

Naruto slams his door shut even louder, ignoring a yell from downstairs, and fumes all the way to bed before passing out.

*

"SHIKAMARU! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Hey, Naruto. What's up?"

"Well, I've been thinking, uh. You know those PD things..."

"Professional development?"

"Yeah! I haven't taken any of them since I became jōnin, and I was thinking maybe it'd be a good idea, you know. Are you the guy to see about it?"

"Yeah. Those are optional, though. You don't really need to do them unless you're interested in something specific."

"I want to do them!"

"What are you thinking of taking?"

"Everything available!! But especially everything about politics and economics!"

"Uh. What--I mean... Sure, I can sign you up now... but seriously Naruto, they're optional."

"Not everyone is as lazy as you, Shikamaru! Ha ha haa!"

"Jeez. I'm just trying to help you out here, man. I'm not sure those are really your thing."

"Then I'll have to make them my thing, won't I!"

"Hm... Are you sure you'll stick to it, I mean, it's a lot of paperwork for me..."

"What is it with everyone doubting me! First Sasuke, now you, seriously!"

"What? Sasuke...?"

"You know what though, I'll fuckin' show him!!"

"Oh. Ohh. Okay. No, Naruto, I don't doubt you at all."

*

"Welcome to Shinobi Mart," chants the woman at the counter, as Naruto dumps his umbrella in the stand and makes a beeline for the cold section at the back of the store. He's hungry and damp and beyond ready for hot ramen and Sasuke's awesome electric rug.

They have a pretty good routine down, these days. Ever since Naruto's mind was blown by the notion of using instant noodles to make other meals, he and Sasuke have been meeting up to share dinner at least once a week.

Some of Sasuke's tips have been keepers (like the gyōza, which they're doing again tonight), others not so much, and Naruto's tried some experimenting of his own. He still stands proudly by his 'beef chicken ramen', which consisted of chicken ramen with an egg and half a kilo of almost-expired browned beef mince tossed in, even if Sasuke thinks it's gross. What the fuck ever. Sasuke's canned tomato and boiled onion miso crap was the worst thing Naruto ever put in his mouth, and he's eaten fucking toad food.

Naruto grabs two ramen bowl sets (more Sasuke intel; these come with all sorts of fresh toppings and stuff already in the package!) and a twelve-pack of chilled gyōza out of the cold shelf, and, without examining the urge too carefully, strolls casually into the health and beauty section and grabs the first box he sees.

Upon dumping the instant food and the box of condoms on the counter, the woman at the counter gives his particular combination of purchases a flat look. Naruto feels unnecessarily judged. He drops the exact change on the tray and takes his plastic bag with a sunny smile. Hey, he's about to eat gyōza ramen, he's feeling magnanimous.

Naruto grabs the-umbrella-that-may-have-once-been-Shikamaru's from the stand, wraps the food and the box up tightly in the plastic bag, and steps out into the rain.

The sun must only just be setting, but the heavy rain clouds have the village pretty dark already. It's busy on the streets. There are people shutting up shops, people on the way home with groceries, people calling their kids in for dinner, all with somewhere to go and someone to go to. Despite the wind and rain, there is something almost unbearably warm curling in Naruto's chest. He takes his time walking to Sasuke's place.

"Took you long enough," is the first thing Sasuke says when he opens the door. He looks warm and pink, like he just got out of the bath, and he has damp patches on his shoulders from his hair.

Naruto's damp too, but in the nasty cold way, and he pushes past into the warm apartment gladly. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's eat."

He dumps the plastic bag on the table (the box of Little Pluckies Ninja Protects having migrated to a safer place in his jacket), and Sasuke immediately starts going through it.

"Anyway," Naruto continues, watching Sasuke's deft hands unpacking the bag, "don't go blaming me for being late, got kept in."

Sasuke snorts, pushing the toppings out of their plastic compartments and into the plastic bowl halves. "Flashback to childhood, there?"

"Flashback to Sakura's childhood maybe, haha. Pretty sure Iruka never kept me back to discuss extension work. Seriously, I felt like the massivest nerd."

Sasuke flicks him an amused look. "I don't think 'massivest' is a word, Nerd-kun."

"Whatever. But yeah. I dunno why, but this stuff is a lot more interesting than I thought it'd be. Politics and all that."

Sasuke hums.

"Man, I'm serious! I mean really, reading up on the history, I can almost see it. Like, Kumo is the cranky ex-wife who put prawns in all our curtain rods, and then Suna and Iwa are like brothers who hate each other cause they keep trying to bang the same girl. Kusa's like this blushing next door neighbour with secret whips and chains in her closet so we gotta keep on her good side!"

Naruto really does find it interesting to study the histories of the villages like this. It's all about relationships in the end, between important figures and between groups as a whole, and Naruto's never found it that difficult to untangle the heart of that sort of thing. It's the same with the economics stuff. When he can visualise it, it's actually not that bad. He's even beginning to stop zoning out at words like 'trilateral' and 'policy', now he can see how they work in context.

"I hope for your sake none of that ever comes out when you're actually meant to be acting diplomatic." One of the ramen bowls is in the microwave now, half the gyōza stuffed into the soup, while Sasuke is carefully pouring the broth from the sachet into the second bowl.

Naruto snorts and rocks his dining chair back. He thumps the chair legs back down as he realises something. "When, huh?"

"You're not still sore about that." Sasuke turns his back on Naruto, presumably to watch the little number on the microwave go down.

It has been a while since that particular fight, and apart from Sasuke side-eyeing him when he first mentioned he was taking PD, they hadn't acknowledged it.

"As if I would be! If I needed you to believe in my dreams, I would have quit life a hundred times over by now."

The microwave beeps.

He could say something like that to Sakura too, and it would be just as true. She hadn't always believed in him either. But he never would, because she would be very hurt, and guilty.

Sasuke huffs in amusement and puts the second bowl in the microwave.

"Stop hovering, idiot," says Sasuke, and Naruto backs off, giving the ready bowl a mournful look. He's learned by now that people who grew up with families have weird ideas about everybody waiting to eat at the same time. Well, maybe it's not weird. Maybe it is kind of nice.

"Fiiiiine. Anyway. What have you been up to, then."

He gets to hear about the other man's latest mission, about how he's thinking of maybe taking on a genin team. Naruto starts laughing so hard it hurts, and Sasuke punches him in the kidney.

The microwave interrupts another tussle, and they sit down to eat. Naruto tries to pace himself, but the thought is physically painful. Why can't they have everlasting supplies of this? Maybe there's a jutsu for that...

Sasuke prods at a slice of pork.

All right, maybe it does sting a little to know his friend doesn't always have faith in him. But there's no way the bastard would bother to feel guilty about it, so Naruto's not going to waste energy caring either.

Besides, in the past Naruto never needed Sasuke to believe in him, because he already had him to make him want to get strong enough to grind that stupid pretty face in the dirt. Or to make him burn to see those eyes widen in surprise, or to see that smirk like he was a comrade to be proud of, or to see that body go utterly still like he was an enemy worth complete focus. Not that the last one is all that happy to remember. But Naruto is who he is _because_ of all that. Why hold a grudge?

Naruto keeps picking the menma out of his bowl and putting it in Sasuke's. There's no point in being sneaky. He tries to steal Sasuke's fish cake, but it's in Sasuke's mouth lightning-fast before he can grab it.

"You're an ass."

"And you're greedy. If you wanted more, you should have bought more."

"Well I did buy extra gyōza, but I think _someone_ ate it all."

"I didn't eat it all, there's six of them over on the counter."

Five extra gyōza later (he generously shared one in the end), he's comfortably full, but not too full to turn down the little punnet of ice cream Sasuke had apparently had in his freezer. It's a little bitter, green tea flavoured, but Naruto likes it more than he had expected to.

"When I was little," Naruto announces, scraping the bottom of the paper cup, "I used to have these nightmares."

He has Sasuke's attention, he can feel it prickling. Why is he bothering to say this?

"Like, I'd be running and running. And hiding. And everyone was trying to kill me or something. I could hear their boots marching in step. And like, the longer I ran, I'd start falling apart. I'd like, scratch and big chunks of my skin would tear off."

"Gross."

"Yeah. Like, and underneath it'd be all marbly and glistening with white shit. And my teeth would all shatter and fall out and I'd be all. Wet and flapping--"

"You can't actually gross me out into giving you my ice cream."

"Aw. But yeah. Then I'd realise underneath I wasn't even a human at all. Underneath was something, so red and raw and disgusting, and it made sense why they wanted to kill me."

"Most humans are pretty red and raw on the inside."

"Yeah I dunno either. Anyway, I forgot about those nightmares. I stopped getting them for a long time. But thinking back now, isn't it kinda funny?"

"Hm?"

"Like, there really was a demon in me all along. I can't believe I was right. Maybe deep down I knew."

"You're not the demon, though," says Sasuke, going to the sink. He sounds annoyed for some reason.

"I know," says Naruto. "And I'm glad I had him, no matter what it was like. I like him a lot."

Sasuke just hums in response. Maybe he got it.

They relocate to Sasuke's room, where the TV is, and stretch out on the electric rug Naruto's been dreaming about for the past few nights.

They end up watching some civilian-made shinobi drama, because it's really hilarious to pick on everything. Naruto has to keep rolling around, because even though it feels amazing, the rug also kind of burns if you stay in one position too long. He keeps getting kicked for his trouble.

"Go sit on the bed if you're that uncomfortable."

"But it's cold up there!"

Sasuke gives him a withering look and shifts backwards onto the bed himself.

The plot of this episode is getting really stupid. A kunoichi with perfectly manicured nails and long flowing hair all in her face is crying and wringing her hands as her teammates wave comically plastic-looking kunai at each other. Something do to do with both of them wanting in her pants? Naruto opens his mouth to make a crack about the tragic lack of fishnet on those so-called ninjas, when Sasuke cuts in first.

"Do you know when we were kids, I was really jealous of you," says Sasuke.

" _What?_ "

Sasuke has a weird look on his face as he stares at the television. Wry, sort of distant. "I cared a lot about getting stronger. And there was the dead-last bottom of the class, getting better than me."

Naruto is too stunned to protest that unflattering description. "You thought I was _better than you?"_

"Learn some listening comprehension, that's not what I said."

Naruto absolutely cannot believe this. Wait, of course he can, he knew this all along, heh. It's just that he had never expected Sasuke to actually use his words.

"Man, if you had told me that back then, I probably would have fainted shitting rainbows out of my eyes."

"That's disgusting."

"But still!" Naruto is sitting bolt straight, staring at Sasuke. He half wants to ask why Sasuke never said so before, but he already knows why. Same reason _he'd_ never admit the same damn thing. So what the fuck is this? Sasuke trying to one-up him in maturity or something now?

"I was jealous of you too," Naruto says, trying to sound offhand.

"Everybody knows that," Sasuke smirks, tilting his face towards Naruto for a moment. Naruto wants to punch that face very badly.

"And everybody knows you're a blowhard toolbag, shut up and watch the show," Naruto grits out, turning back to the television, letting the lava-rug burning his ass distract him from any murderous urges.

Then suddenly all the years of dealing with Sai catches up with his brain and it hits him that Sasuke might have been trying to be _friendly_. He almost laughs at himself for thinking it, but then he realises it might actually be true.

The show is getting worse. It's so awful. Naruto rolls over again in the extra space on the rug, feeling weirdly giddy. It hits him again like a kick to the chest that this is part of his life, he can have this. He can have it again and again, every week. The next sarcastic crack Sasuke makes about the drama has Naruto laughing way harder than probably necessary.

Sasuke shifts on the bed, looking vaguely harassed. Naruto laughs harder, squinting up at him. God. What is wrong with him? He hasn't even had anything to drink tonight.

He heaves himself up onto the bed too, in the next ad break, the rug finally too much. The whole room is nice and warm now anyway. Though, Naruto has to admit, while he is damn proud of his excellent muscles, this bed is kind of small for two grown shinobi.

*

It feels like he blinks and opens his eyes and somehow he's horizontal, face buried in a blanket that smells really good, and it's pitch dark. Did he really miss the end of the episode?

Naruto rolls over, rubbing his neck, which is kind of sore--where's the pillow? Oh. Sasuke is crashed out on the floor below him. His chest is rising and falling softly, his face looks kind of angry. Well, that hasn't changed. Oh yeah, that was on the list. Sasuke Uchiha looks stupid when he sleeps.

Everything is very still, except for the soft sound of measured breathing and the rain on the roof, and Naruto listens to it until he drifts off again.

*

He wakes up again a few hours later, busting for the toilet. It's still pitch dark in the room. The moment his leg shifts against the sheets, ready to get up, Sasuke's eyes open, a gleam in the ink. Naruto freezes, praying with all his heart that Sasuke hasn't got some scary kill-on-waking instinct, but it seems like he's okay.

"Hi," he says, then wonders why he said it. But Sasuke just looks at him like he is waiting, and Naruto can't look away. Suddenly, he realises, he wants to be closer. That's not new, but now it's too hard to push down. Not when his whole body is aching with it, the room shrinking teaspoon-small with it, everything out of focus but the faint shine of Sasuke's eyes in the dark. Can he really have that too? Can he--

When their mouths find each other's in the dark, the earth doesn't move. But Sasuke does, and the press and catch of his dry lips kickstarts something inside Naruto and his brain nearly stops functioning altogether. But.

"S-stop," Naruto manages, and Sasuke does. Naruto can't make his hand quit rubbing Sasuke's thigh.

"You said stop," Sasuke says, annoyed.

"I, I need to pee," says Naruto.

Sasuke puts his face in his hands.

"I'll be right back!" Naruto says, desperately.

It's the fastest slash he has ever taken in his entire life, but he definitely makes sure to wash his hands, because this is Sasuke - this is _Sasuke_.

He rushes back into the room, and Sasuke is sitting on the bed, curtains open, watching the rain outside. Naruto goes to join him.

*

Rolling around, struggling to get his hands on as much of Sasuke's skin as possible, trying to squash him down into the nearest flat surface - that's not new. It's exhilaratingly familiar, everything Naruto already loves made better with kissing.

And the kissing is pretty great. Just like when they fight, the full force of Sasuke's attention put to him, to dragging reactions from _him_ , is enough to have Naruto nearly vibrating. It also feels really good.

He kisses Sasuke's nose because he can, kisses his eyelid and cheekbone because he can. Sasuke grabs his head and pulls their lips back together, and Naruto laughs into his mouth just as his knees slip and their bodies slot together perfectly.

Sasuke pulls away, looking frustrated and flushed, and Naruto cuts him off.

"Are we going to do it?" he says. He bites at Sasuke's neck, unable to look him in the face. Sasuke doesn't seem to want to talk about this either. He just reaches down and, okay yeah that's more than fine. But no, talking is important.

"Sasuke," he says, proud of how steady his voice is coming out, "we should--"

"I know you brought condoms," says Sasuke, and Naruto chokes. "Go get them already."

"So we _are_ going to--"

Sasuke kisses him, and Naruto would point out that Sasuke is sabotaging his own plan, but he can't seem to keep his hands away either.

"Okay," he says, finally, dislodging various limbs and getting up to find his jacket.

When he comes back, Sasuke has untucked the sheets and blankets they had messed up, and is sitting under the sheet. Naruto quickly realises he is naked under there, feels his whole body go hot. His stomach swoops like the rug from here to there is actually lava.

"Are you coming over here or what," says Sasuke, and Naruto crosses the room with the firm intention to blow Sasuke's mind.

*

Okay, so that's not exactly what happens.

"Come on then, come on." He pulls his fingers out, not missing Sasuke's full-body shudder, and wipes them on the sheets. There's lube--or whatever this oily shit Sasuke claims is for burns is--everywhere.

"Just do it."

"I can't." Naruto's face feels like it's on fire. "It won't. Uh. I really think you're too tight, can I just go back to...? You know?"

"No."

"How about you lie down then, and I put a pillow under you, that might--."

"No."

"Well then, what if you hold yourself open for me like--"

"No."

"...Do you want to stop?"

" _No._ "

Sasuke is radiating tension, holding himself up on elbows and knees. Naruto is too overwhelmed, his brain can't process any of it. It would be so much easier to work out what he was doing if he had another pair of hands - instinct forms the seal, and Sasuke inhales a shocked breath as a clone pops into existence underneath him.

"What the FUCK," he starts, and then he makes the most gut-wrenching moan Naruto's heard in his whole fucking life as the clone's hands hold Naruto's dick steady and Naruto's hands tug Sasuke's hips back to meet him and this time he fucks right in slow.

And then he moans again sounding half-terrified and goes blinding tight and then Naruto is sucker-punched by the vivid memory of Sasuke's face screwed up in pleasure and the heat of come all over his stomach.

"Did you kill my clone!"

Sasuke makes a defeated sound.

"You don't just go killing people during sex!"

"I'm not the one using idiotic jutsu in the middle of--"

"And you, _did you just_ \--?"

"Shut up," says Sasuke, and his voice is dark and thick and clutches at Naruto's guts - _he_ didn't come, after all. So he decides to shut up after all, if only because watching the muscles in Sasuke's shoulders bunch and his spine dip as he tests himself is far more appealing at this point. 

It's still a little awkward, but it only gets easier from there, Naruto has always been a quick learner when there's sufficient positive reinforcement, and Sasuke has always been a genius at adapting. None of this would go on that old list of Things Sasuke Sucks At, either, because a lot of it is probably Naruto's fault too.

And then it's not awkward at all. Naruto laughs, wipes Sasuke's sweaty hair from his face and kisses between his shoulders, tries to tell him. Sasuke just presses back, huffs like he already knows, and it's overwhelming.

*

After, they lie together, sticky with sweat and come, breathing hard.

Naruto remembers how it felt, lying dizzy and aching in that cabin in the snow. Feeling like his chest was caving in.

He remembers thinking, is this really what it's like, being in love.

He feels kinda like that again now, in Sasuke's bed (in Konoha) under Sasuke's sheets (in Sasuke's home) wrapped up in Sasuke's arms (Sasuke's _home_ ) and it hurts everywhere, fingers and toes and heart squeezing and twinging with every beat of his heart.

"What," Sasuke is asking, and concerned black eyes fill Naruto's whole vision, nose to nose.

"Nothing," Naruto manages.

"No, what. You look like you're going to cry."

Well fuck.

"Hey, hey, shh," Sasuke hisses, sounding kind of panicked. "Calm down. What's wrong?"

"I just. I love you so much," Naruto chokes. "I. I can't."

He buries his face in Sasuke's neck. After a moment, he feels himself being patted kind of awkwardly.

The tightness in his chest eases up as Sasuke's hand finds a nice rhythm petting his hair.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. His throat feels kind of raw. "That was kinda. Uh. Not sexy."

Sasuke is quiet for a bit, scritching the short hairs right at the base of Naruto's skull. It feels so good, Naruto just wants to melt and go to sleep.

"It's all right," Sasuke says, finally. He's so warm under Naruto, warm and firm where they're pressed together from chest to hip.

"Do you love me?" Naruto whispers into Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke's hands don't falter as they keep petting. Naruto hates how needy that sounded. Needy and pathetic and insecure and Sasuke hates all those things but he can't help it.

"Yeah," says Sasuke, quietly. "I have for a long time."

And suddenly Naruto remembers something he's heard about the Sharingan, and the love inside him squeezes so tight he feels like he'll explode.

He wants to say, you're so stupid. He wants to say, you're the biggest asshole on the planet.

"Love you, love you," he says, getting tears in Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke squeezes back.

*

Sasuke has pulled the covers up above their heads and seems to be dozing off. Naruto can't wait for him to drift off so he can pull the covers down. What kind of freak sleeps with the cover over their head, seriously. Until then he endures the fuzzy darkness and the puffs of warm air as Sasuke breathes. Then--

"When I was a kid I had these nightmares too." Sasuke's sleepy voice. Barely conscious.

Naruto hums at him, and feels a bare arm graze his side with a kind of sleepy clumsiness he has no visual for.

"Mm. I was... I'd go into the kitchen. And he'd be making me breakfast."

Naruto doesn't ask who 'he' is. There will only ever be one, for Sasuke.

"And. I'd tell him to fuck off. I'd scream and say I'd kill him. And. And he'd just look at me holding a damn frypan full of... food he'd made for me... with eyes like..."

It's too dark to find Sasuke's hand. Naruto lies there and hurts.

"And in the dream I'd feel so guilty I was sick... and then I'd wake up. And I'd remember... and I'd. I."

Hate him. Naruto knows. Hate him sick like burning inside out. He'd seen.

How do you do it? How do you go from loving and respecting your brother to despising and vowing to kill him in one night?

Guess you don't.

"What did you say. About knowing deep down," and that's just, no, so Naruto grabs all of Sasuke he can reach and doesn't care that it's stuffy and gross.

"Nah," he says. "Nah. Don't." And, "Love you," and hears it whispered back again.

*

Naruto can see the first tinges of sunrise in the sky outside. The rain must have cleared up, but they were too preoccupied to notice. Even just that realisation makes Naruto's face heat up all over again. He's somehow the little spoon right now, and Sasuke is tracing a lazy pattern on his chest.

He's not really sleepy, just floating. It feels like a whole world of new things has opened up in front of him again, there are so many things he wants to try. With his hands and mouth and maybe Sasuke will come around to clones--

"Do you know why I came back to Konoha, after everything?"

"Uh." That got heavy fast. Trust Sasuke to do that. "Because it's your home?"

The dawn light is coming in through the window, rendering Sasuke soft and silvery. His smile is a dark dimple.

"I came back because I wanted to see this village fixed. And even though I'd already realised I wouldn't ever get enough sway to be able to become hokage the normal way and do it myself, I guess I had faith that if I came back I'd see you do it for me."

His chest throbs painfully and there's nothing he can do but wriggle around and squeeze Sasuke tight. He gets a kick in the shin, but a few steadfast seconds later he gets a cold nose buried in his neck.

"I thought you didn't believe in me."

"Don't take it the wrong way. It's been years since then."

"Fuck you. You believe in me."

He mumbles into Sasuke's temple something about him being a loser. Sasuke just hums and strokes his arm.

*

The next day, when his extension essay on the environmental impact of the kunai industry is giving him a massive headache, Sasuke lets him spread the boring scrolls all over his floor and makes him egg-drop ramen with spinach.

**Author's Note:**

> **Soundtrack**   
>  [Problems - Mother Mother](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHVu9j0S5mM)   
>  [Below My Feet - Mumford & Sons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_B6a_CFhEA)   
>  [Lover's Day - TV on the Radio](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP4pHeRSK1E)   
>  [Midnight Orchestra - Aqua Timez](http://theonebrokenthing.tumblr.com/post/56962831681)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 'Little Pluckies Ninja Protects' is a reference to [bootleg ninja turtles toys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SImIhAcQ4Ds)... I'm sorry.
> 
> I actually wrote the part about Sasuke's nightmare before that egg OVA was revealed, believe it or not. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Especially Mina - I'm so sorry I mutilated your prompt like this :C In this universe Hokage!Naruto does eventually clonebang ANBU!Sasuke, ok, I swear.


End file.
